Archive for the ‘Trends’ Category

Four Tips for Choosing A Flattering Purse © 2010

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

+Here are four tips for choosing a purse that will flatter you.  You will need to consider color, scale, shape and where the purse sits on your body.

COLOR

  1. Because our eyes automatically search for colors to be repeated, when you carry a purse that repeats one of your natural body colors (hair, skin or eyes) you will look visually pleasing and be able to wear this purse with everything you own.

SCALE

  • 2. Here is a way to determine a good size purse that will be in   proportion to your body.  Spread your fingers apart with your thumbs  touching and measure horizontally from little finger to little finger.  This measurement is the widest or tallest your purse should be to be in proportion to your body.  Measure your hand from your wrist crease to the end of your longest finger.  This could be the depth, height or width of your purse.  (If you hands are in proportion to your body this suggestion will work for you.)

STRAP LENGTH

  • 3. If you can adjust strap length, adjust your purse to end at a place on your body that is the narrowest.  For example if you carry your weight in the lower half of your body, and have a defined waistline, shorten the straps so your purse stops at your waist.  If you are top heavy, lengthen straps so your purse stops at your lower hip or thigh.

SHAPE

  • 4. A purse that has some softness and some straightness is best for most bodies.  If you have a very angular (straight body) and angular face, you can choose a purse with sharp angles.

TRENDS

  • .  Recent purse trends include super sized handbags, clutch bags, vintage, brightly colored and metallic bags.  If you are petite, a very large handbag may dwarf you and if you are a plus size an over sized bag may emphasize parts you don’t want emphasized.

If you do choose a brightly colored purse, try to repeat the color in your outfit at least once or twice.  This repetition of color can  be done with a scarf, shoes, or belt.  As stated previously our eyes unconsciously search for repetition of color and this will help you to look more pulled together.

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Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a professionally trained Personal Image Consultant.  She came to image consulting as part of her own journey to look and feel good in her own short, plump body.  Since 1990 she has been dispelling “The Barbie Doll Myth,” that the media promotes.  This myth tells us that to be considered beautiful, a woman must be tall, thin, perfectly proportioned and forever young.    Nancy counters this myth by teaching women of all sizes, shapes and ages that “real beauty,” is about looking visually balanced.  She is available to work with individuals and groups in the Baltimore-Washington area.  She plans to soon begin working virtually with clients in other geographic areas.

www.WardrobeWiz.com

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Posted in Baltimore Wardrobe Makeover, Baltimore Wardrobe Wizard, Frugal Fashion, Image Consultant, Learning to Love The Way You Look, Trends, Visual harmony, beauty, buying criteria, choosing flattering colors, fashion, fashion tips, feeling beautiful, instant visual credibility, real beauty, shopping, style | No Comments »

The Trouble With Bargains

Monday, September 21st, 2009

I recently  helped Theresa pare down her wardrobe.   She had many things in her closet that still had the tags on, but no longer fit . Theresa realized that she had too many clothes but couldn’t resist buying more clothes because they were on sale.  How many of you have bought something just because it was on sale?

What other criteria do you need to consider besides the fact an item is on sale for it to be a bargain?  Here are some questions to ask yourself.

  • Can you wear it with three things you already own or can you wear it three different ways?
  • Is it comfortable, does the fabric breathe?
  • Does it fit properly?
  • What kind of care does it need?  Grab the fabric and squeeze and hold for 10 seconds.   Does it wrinkle easily?   Can it be washed?  ( If it needs dry cleaning it will cost you more long term.)    Also, most dry cleaning uses carcinogenic chemicals and some of these chemicals may remain in the fabric.
  • Don’t forget color.  Does the color make your eyes sparkle, do your shadows and lines disappear?
  • Do you really need it?

When I go shopping, I have my helper, my “Wardrobe Wizard Pocket Pal.”  This includes my wallet of 50 of my best colors and  line drawings of my best styles. I still  have trouble making decisions, at times , because sometimes “my wants and my needs,” are in conflict.  So I carry a pendulum and I ask my pendulum for help in making my final buying decisions.    I believe my unconscious mind knows the right answer and projects this on the pendulum.  (yes, even “The Wardrobe Wizard ” needs a second opinion at times.)

How do you make your buying decisions?  How many so called  “bargains,”  do you have hanging in your closet that you rarely or never wear? Wondering what to do with those unworn bargains?  If you live in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, “The Wardrobe Wizard,” can work with you in person.  Currently I am exploring ways I can work with clients long distance but I have not worked out the details yet.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a professionally trained personal image consultant.  She specializes in working with women whose shape or size has  changed.  Contact her at 410-235-5325. or nrgoldblat@gmail.com.

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How to Choose Earrings That Flatter Your Face © 2009

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

“Flattering earrings can give you a polished, finished appearance.” Another nice thing about earrings is that no matter how much weight you gain or lose they will always fit. If you are a woman with very short hair,  it is especially important to wear earrings because earrings will give your face a more feminine appearance. If your hair is short, earrings that have some  dimension ( are not flat) will look best.  I like to think of earrings as a finishing touch or a frame for the face and hair.

Here are some  guidelines for choosing earrings in flattering sizes, shapes and colors.

Earrings to wear in the workplace

Consider choosing an earring that is the size of your eye when it is open. This is considered “classic size.” Look at either the height or the width of your eye.   The earring does not have to be the same shape as your eye  but if your  earring is smaller or larger than your open eye it’s no longer a classic size .    If you work  in a very casual environment you may be able to wear earrings that are  larger or smaller than classic size depending on your face and body size and “color type.” You can  go  smaller, but I do not recommend any smaller than your iris,  (The  iris is the part of your eye that has color )   (See JoAnna Nicholson’s book,  Dressing Smart for Women, to find out about color type.)

Choosing the scale of a hanging earring

Measure  the distance from the bottom of your nose to the top of your upper lip to find a flattering length for a hanging earring. You can also measure from the bottom of your lip  to your  chin.   For a longer earring, you can measure the length of your nose.  Yes, that’s  right, I said nose.  Don’t laugh.  When we repeat colors and proportion of our body its visually pleasing.  If  you do not like the length of your nose or if you have a short neck avoid this longer hanging earring because  it can emphasize your nose  and or your neck.

Choosing a shape to flatter your face

If you want to look visually balanced choose an earring that is similar to your face shape. I realize that most books say the opposite.   In previous articles I have talked about creating visual harmony by repeating shapes and proportions.   Therefore,  if you have a predominantly angular face (more straightness than curves) a more geometric shape earring will be pleasing on you.  If you have a more curved face, a more oval earring will be flattering.

How do you decide if your face is more angular or more curved? Look not only at the outside shape of your face but the shape of your lips, eyebrows, nose and chin.  Your face may be a combination of curves and angles.  Look at yourself smiling and unsmiling.  Have a friend look at your profile.  Count how many curved elements and how many straight elements or lines you see.

You are more likely to have an angular face. I say this because after analyzing hundreds of  faces, I have found most (but not all) women have angular faces.   As you shop for earrings you may find that many earrings, especially the  hanging ones with beads, are predominantly rounded.  This will make it more of a challenge to find earrings that have predominantly angular or geometric shapes.   I began making earrings for my clients when I realized this and I am always on the lookout for softened geometric shaped earrings for my clients who have more angular faces.

Choosing flattering colors

If you choose earrings that repeat your  natural body colors, particularly your eye color or a naturally occurring highlight in your hair you will be able to wear them with everything you own. For example  I have very dark brown, almost black hair.  I have hazel green eyes and I look my best in very clear bright colors and shiny metals.  As I have gotten older my hair is less dark as silver has started to appear.   I have found that I can wear shiny silver earrings with everything I own because it repeats a highlighted color of my hair.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” was trained by Color 1 Associates, as a “personal image consultant,” in 1990.   She is available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore and surrounding areas.    She is also available for talks, workshops and fundraisers.  Contact her at 410-235-5325 or nrgoldblatt@gmail.com.

This article is copyrighted, it  may be copied or printed elsewhere only if credits and contact information is included or a link is provided to the original post.

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Why Is It Important To Know Which Shade of White Is Right for You?

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Because only 50% of people look good in “pure bright white.”    For the other 50%  of you, “bright white,” will look harsh and or wash you out.  Everyone can wear “winter white,” which is a less intense white. When wearing “winter white,” be careful not to pick a white that has yellow in it.

Can you guess which shade of white is most flattering to Michelle Obama? Take a look at recent pictures of her in a pure white top.  Do you look at her or the top first?    Can you guess what shade of white Oprah looks the best in?  What about Jessica Simpson and Hillary Clinton?

Find the answers at the end of this post.

How can you determine which white is your best white?

Use the “blink test.” Stand 5 feet from a mirror in good light , put on or drape a pure white item over your top half and close your eyes and then quickly open them.  Where does your eye go first?  If it goes to the white before your face, the white is too bright for you.  If you look at your face and the white at the same time and your eyes sparkle and your skin looks fresh and radiant you may be able to wear bright white.

You need to take something else into consideration when you are choosing the right shade of white. What color are your teeth?  Even if the pure white works with your skin, if it makes your teeth look yellow or grey you may be better off wearing “winter white,” at least near your face.  Speaking of teeth, if pure white does not flatter your skin, if you ” over whiten.” your teeth this can make your teeth look like they are false teeth.    I am not against whitening teeth, I am just cautioning against over-whitening them.

(Answer to questions)  Michelle Obama looks better in “winter white.”  Bright white is too bright on her  because she has “muted.” coloring.   Oprah also looks her best in “winter white.”   Jessica Simpson and Hillary Clinton both look great in ” bright white.”

*For more information on choosing colors get Joanna Nicholson’s books, “Dressing Smart for Women,” and “Dressing Smart for Men.”

Nancy Goldblatt is a professionally trained, personal image consultant.  She was trained by Color 1 Associates.  She specializes in working with women in Baltimore and surrounding  areas whose weight or shape has changed and or who have lots of clothes and “nothing to wear.”  Reach her at nrgoldblatt At g-mail DOT com/ or 410-235-5325.  She offers a complimentary initial telephone consult to help you determine if her services are right for you.  She also works with men, and groups in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

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Baltimore Artscape 2009, Product Trends Observed

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Artscape, known as America’s largest “free arts festival was held the  weekend of  July 17-19, 2009 .    The weather was great and there were lots of people of all shapes, sizes and colors to watch.   I   have always loved “people watching,” and this weekend was no different, except I had my new  camera with me and I wanted to take pictures to post to show some of the trends I spotted.   Unfortunately some of the vendors had posted signs saying<”No photos, Please.”

I have just begun using a digital camera and I am still shy about asking people if I can take their picture and seeing the “no photos please,”  posted with some of the vendors made me even more hesitant to ask to take photos .   I did take a few pictures of things I found interesting and I actually asked one young woman if I could take her picture.   In the future , I hope to post more pictures showing examples of flattering fashion as well as examples of what not to wear.

The product trend I spotted at Artscape this year was recycled or re purposed items made into costume jewelry, including earrings, over sized rings, cuffed bracelets , and totes.

Some of the recycled items included vintage soda bottle caps made into earrings and other jewelry.   Debby Caplan-Ziman stated she  has been making bottle cap earrings for the past 3 years as part of her therapy in recovering from Colon Cancer. poptopearrings@yahoo.com

Clever Cat Bags are totes and bags made from recycled  woven coffee bean containers imported from Brazil.   Another vendor of recycled fabrics is Jen Athanas.  Her company is Jenafusion.   Jen  makes totes, change purses, and makeup cases out of recycled fabric.   She says she got started recycling fabrics when she was a child making clothing for her dolls.  Her contact info is :  Jenafusion.etsy.com/

 

Another vendor at Artscape was , “I Wanna Be Made Over.”  (I love the name).  This company  makes wrist cuffs and ties out of used inner tubes.

During the fashion shows ( I only saw 5 of the 15 shows) there seemed to be a trend toward more feminine, girly and romantic styles.   Teronce Styyles, Baltimore fashion producer extraordinaire kept audiences entertained in between the fashion shows.

This year  I  bought a cosmetic case from Jenafusion, a guatemalian shawl from Corpus Cristy Church which I plan to make into two pillow covers and a wall hanging and a piece of silk that used to be a sari from “A People United.”    I’m not sure how I will use the silk  yet.  I might make it into a wall hanging or a scarf.


Have you recently been inspired to re purpose or remodel something you already own or something you just bought.?   I would love to hear from you,  you can share in comments section of this blog.

Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore is a professionally trained personal image consultant.   She specializes in working with women whose size or shape has changed and or who have lots of clothes and nothing to wear.  Reach her at  nrgoldblatt at gmail dot com/ her website is www.Wardrobewiz.com

 

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How to Choose Flattering Glasses & Sunglasses:

Friday, June 26th, 2009

 

For those of you who need new glasses or plan to buy sunglasses here are a few tips for choosing flattering styles.

I learned about choosing flattering styles of glasses from JoAnna Nicholson, my teacher and  co-founder of Color 1 Associates an International Image and Style Company.

When choosing glasses or sunglasses, choose shapes that repeat your eyebrow shape.   If you have a rather straight eyebrow, choose glasses that have a softened rectangular shape.  If you have a more naturally curved eyebrow choose glasses that are more curved.  This is especially important if the glasses are small and your eyebrows show.  JoAnna says if you choose glasses that have a different shape than your eyebrow, it will look like you have a double eyebrow.

As we get older our eyes lose their definite shape.  When you put glasses on, its like putting on eyeliner or mascara because glasses can give our eyes  definition.  This is another reason that its helpful to choose a shape that compliments your face.

I know some people wear glasses to make a statement. One trend that may be dying is the “Buddy Holly,”  black eyeglass frame nerd look.    However, if you want people to look at you, instead of your eyeglasses, I suggest choosing glasses that look like they are a part of you.  A very thin frame in a flattering color will show off your eyes and is more likely to to look like it is part of you.

In choosing frame color consider choosing your natural hair color or the natural highlights in your hair or a combination of hair and skin color.   Our eyes automatically search for color repetition.  When you repeat your body colors in your apparel and accessories you create visual harmony and a pleasing appearance.

For example, if your hair has copper highlights, a copper frame would probably look good on you.   My friend Judy used to have copper frames when her hair was reddish brown but now that her hair is white,  a non shiny silver frame is more flattering on her.    If you have no hair, think about the color your hair used to be.  If you can’t remember what color your hair used to be, look at your natural eyebrow color or if you have a child or relative who has the same color hair you used to have ask for a lock of their hair.   Keep the piece of hair in a ziplock bag in a dark place for future purchases.

A tip for trying on sunglasses.

I have noticed that frequently the mirrors on sunglass displays is up high.  This may be done because its a convienient place to put the mirror but it can be deceiving.    When looking up at a mirror that is higher than eye level you will always look better.  When you look up some of your face and neck wrinkles disappear.   On the other hand, if the mirror is lower than eye level you will always look worse because your wrinkles and any sagging skin will be exaggerated.    I suggest you bring your own mirror and hold it at eye level to get a more accurate impression of how you look in the eyeglasses or sunglasses.

What is your biggest challenge in choosing glasses or sunglasses?  Feel free to ask questions on this blog.  If I can’t solve your problem, perhaps someone reading the blog can.

Nancy Goldblatt, “Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a professionally trained personal image consultant.    She works with both individuals and groups.  She can be reached at nrgoldblatt at gmail dot .com/ WWW.WardrobeWiz.com

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Which Recent Trend Is Not Flattering to Anyone?

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

 I am going to talk about a recent trend the magazines have been showing which will cause you to not look “visually harmonious, ” or “pulled together.”   Unless you prefer people to look mainly at your feet, this trend will not work for you.  Its wearing shoes that are a different color than your outfit.  On the Today show this morning, Ann Curry, one of  the women hosts who usually looks great did not look as good as usual. 

She was wearing  bright red shoes.  There was nothing else in her outfit that was red and my eye went down to her feet.  If you plan to wear red shoes the color should be repeated in your main outfit at least once .  If she had been wearing a red sweater or jacket over her black base she would have looked more “put together,” because our eye automatically searches for colors to be repeated.   In Ann’s case my eye kept going down to her red shoes when she was seated and I could seee her shoes.  

I happen to like Ann Curry and find her a very good interviewer.  However, I was distracted by those red shoes and she seemed less credibile to me as a result.  Be careful of trends because frequently the purpose of the trend is to get you to go out and buy more stuff.

Which recent trends do you avoid and which do you like?  I would love to hear from you.

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